Friday, July 6, 2012

While there are many things banned in schools worldwide that should rightly be restricted, many feel that schools are taking regulations too far these days and banning things that can help kids build relationships, have fun, learn, and understand how to function in the real world. They may just have a point. As you read through this list, you'll see more than a few knee-jerk reactions by schools to problems that could have been solved in much more logical and meaningful ways, as well as a few things most of us can't imagine our school days without. More than being surprising, many of these bans are downright ridiculous and draw attention away from far more pressing educational issues.

9. Outside food:

Concerns about allergies and safety are solid reasons for limiting what foods can be brought into schools, but like many other things on this list, schools have taken things far beyond what many parents and students consider reasonable. One Chicago-area school has gone so far as to ban lunches brought from home altogether, forcing students to eat cafeteria food, a policy which has forced many kids to go hungry as they do not wish to eat what the cafeteria is serving or don't have the money to pay for school-bought lunches every day. And kids can forget about treats for birthdays brought from home, as nearly all schools now ban home-cooked goods due to worries about allergies. (It's worth noting that food allergy groups don't support allergy-based bans, as they believe kids need to learn to manage their allergies in the real world.)

10. Bookbags:

At some U.S. schools, students have to limit what they bring to class, as they aren't allowed bookbags during the school day. School officials who enacted the bans say that not allowing bookbags inside of the school helps to reduce congestion, improve safety, and make it easier to stem thefts. While there are undoubtedly some good reasons for not lugging a backpack from class to class, students aren't happy about the ban, saying they still have to carry the same stuff to class, but now have no way to easily do so. Additionally, the students say it is almost impossible to make it to class on time when they have to stop at their lockers, which are often not close to their classes, between each hour.